he chief took the name of King Cookee. The ship having
anchored in a small, excellent harbour called Owharee, the captain, Mr
Banks, Dr Solander, and Mr Monkhouse, with Tupia and King Cookee, went
on shore. On landing Tupia stripped himself to the waist, and desired
Mr Monkhouse, whom he seems to have looked on as a brother priest, to
do the same; and sitting down in a large guest-house, full of people,
opposite the king, he began a sort of incantation, the king answering in
what appeared to be set responses. During this he made presents of some
handkerchiefs, beads, two bunches of feathers, and plantains to the
Etua, or god of the island, and received in return a hog, two bunches of
feathers, and some young plantains, as presents to the white man's God.
[Note 3.]

These he ordered to be carried on board. On the treaty, as the ceremony
was supposed to be, being concluded, every one went his way, and Tupia
repaired to worship at a morai. The next day, as Tupia was much engaged
with his friends in the island, the captain and Mr Banks took Tayeto as
their companion in their rambles. The most interesting object they met
with was a chest or cask, the lid of which was nicely sewed on, and
neatly thatched with palm-leaves. It was fixed on two horizontal poles,
and supported on arches of wood neatly carved. The object of the poles
seemed to be to remove it from place to place. There was a circular
hole at one end, stopped, when it was first seen, with cloth. The chest
was, on a second visit, found to be empty. The general resemblance
between it and the ark of the Lord among the Jews was remarkable. The
boy called it _Ewharre no Etua_ (the house of the god). He, however,
could give no account of its use.

Some hogs were exchanged for axes, and some medals bestowed on the king,
and no accident having happened to mar their friendly intercourse with
the natives, the voyagers took their departure. The people were
superior in size and appearance to the general run of the natives of
Otaheite, and the women fairer and better-looking. Not having
experienced the effects of the guns of the Dolphin, they were less timid
than the people of Otaheite, and did not fall down on hearing a musket
fired. On one of them being detected in thieving, his companions
prescribed a good beating, which was at once administered.

The next island visited was Ulietea, where, within the coral reef, the
ship anchored in a good harbour. Two ca